They refine a lot, but hardly have most of the lithium. Most of the bigger mining operations are out of Chile or Austrailia. The largest known lithium deposit is in the USA around Oregon. They haven’t started mining that one, yet. 20 to 40 million metric tons of mineable lithium.
Lithium mining afaik is terrible for the environment and would almost definitely have american environmentalists in a snafu. It strikes me as the kind of thing that NIMBYism prevents us from taking advantage of. (Despite the fact that people have already displaced by climate change and we’re putting tariffs on the goods used to reduce emissions)
The problem isn’t the bikes, the problem is the lithium.
China controls a lot of the worlds lithium, and most of its refining.
They refine a lot, but hardly have most of the lithium. Most of the bigger mining operations are out of Chile or Austrailia. The largest known lithium deposit is in the USA around Oregon. They haven’t started mining that one, yet. 20 to 40 million metric tons of mineable lithium.
Lithium mining afaik is terrible for the environment and would almost definitely have american environmentalists in a snafu. It strikes me as the kind of thing that NIMBYism prevents us from taking advantage of. (Despite the fact that people have already displaced by climate change and we’re putting tariffs on the goods used to reduce emissions)
And most of the largest mines are operated by Chengdu or Ganfeng. It’s modern colonialism.
May not be Chinese soil, but the deed is to China none the less.